Quote:
Originally Posted by Nodrog
I wouldnt really call Arsenal a particularly successful club compared to Man United/Liverpool
|
Pre-Premiership, Arsenal had won the league three times more than Manchester United (with two of the successes of Arsenal coming in the previous 20 years, and none of United's), the FA Cup once fewer. In European competition, Manchester United had won the Cup Winners Cup once, and the European Cup once. Replace that European cup with the Fairs cup, and you get Arsenal's record.
Obviously some of this is part of the public perception you mention, but Arsenal were regarded as one of the biggest clubs in the country pre-Premiership, and success attracts a lot more fans than a lesser entity that produces better football.
A good demonstration of this is what teams the americans on SA choose to follow: almost all following the big clubs, which probably has a root in the "everyone loves a winner" mentality, but also comes from the fact that there's a lot more publicity about them, and their games are more easily seen.